At about 4:30 p.m. on May 7, a law enforcement ranger on patrol reported that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a popular visitor center destination in Olympic National Park that had been undergoing renovation, was fully engulfed in flames. Nobody was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. Both Clallam County Fire District 2 and Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire and are currently working to extinguish the fire.

 

The Day Lodge, located in the most easily accessed high alpine area of the park, had been under construction since April 3 and was closed to visitors. The Hurricane Ridge area had been on track to reopen later this month before Memorial Day weekend, but the building was to be closed for 2 years.

 

Hurricane Ridge Road has remained open for 5 miles to Heart of the Hills Campground but the upper 12 miles leading up to the building was closed since construction began. Park officials say the structure appears to be a complete loss. The building was built in the 1950s and housed interpretive exhibits upstairs and a gift shop and small café run by Aramark, a park concessioner. In the wintertime, the concessioner rented out snowshoes and skis.

 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Original source can be found here.